Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office has made a significant move in the fight against human trafficking with the arrest of Devonte Hinkston on charges of pimping and pandering. A 33-year-old man from Oakland, Hinkston, was taken into custody last Wednesday, after a several-month-long investigation by the department's Human Exploitation and Trafficking (H.E.A.T) Taskforce. This saga began in May when a victim, whose identity remains confidential, reached out to deputies to report an assault and theft in the unincorporated area of Turlock, eventually revealing the grim reality of being sexually trafficked.
Further investigations by the H.E.A.T Taskforce managed to identify and locate several additional victims actively engaged in the commercial sex trafficking ring run by Hinkston. He was arrested and is currently being held at the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center, his freedom priced at a bail of $300,000. Details about the case and the arrest were made available on the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.
The official social media announcement detailed the charges: "Hinkston was arrested and booked on two counts of pimping and two counts of pandering." The Sheriff's Office is urging anyone with information that could relate to this case to step forward and contact the H.E.A.T. Taskforce directly or to submit an anonymous tip to Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers.
For those willing to come forth with information, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office has provided a contact number at (209) 525-7114 along with the assurance of anonymity through Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers, reachable at (866) 602-7463.
